IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v10y2018i8p2682-d161001.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

How to Enhance Sustainability through Transformational Leadership: The Important Role of Employees’ Forgiveness

Author

Listed:
  • Byung-Jik Kim

    (Sogang Business School, Sogang University, Seoul 04107, Korea)

  • Tae-Hyun Kim

    (College of Business, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02455, Korea)

  • Se-Youn Jung

    (Prime College, Korea National Open University, Seoul 03087, Korea)

Abstract

The present research attempts to investigate an intermediating process that influences an association between transformational leadership and innovative behavior. Previous studies have mainly focused on the intrapsychic traits of individual employees (e.g., intrinsic motivation and psychological empowerment) as an important mediator to explain the enhancing effect of transformational leadership on employee’s creativity. Yet, given that many interactions among employees in an organization tend to occur in the form of ‘interpersons’, the importance of interpersonal relationship-based traits has received relatively less attention from leadership scholars. Based on the context-attitude-behavior framework, we posit that transformational leadership enhances innovative behavior by boosting the level of employees’ forgiveness which is an interpersonal relationship-based trait among employees. We conducted structural equation modeling analysis with a survey from 374 employees in South Korea. The result demonstrated that forgiveness partially mediates the influence of transformational leadership on innovative behavior. We believe that our finding may contribute to expanding transformational leadership and positive organizational scholarship literature by identifying a new path that transformational leadership increases innovative behavior. The theoretical and practical implications, limitations of this study, and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Byung-Jik Kim & Tae-Hyun Kim & Se-Youn Jung, 2018. "How to Enhance Sustainability through Transformational Leadership: The Important Role of Employees’ Forgiveness," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-13, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:8:p:2682-:d:161001
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/8/2682/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/8/2682/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. John Hagedoorn & Geert Duysters, 2002. "External Sources of Innovative Capabilities: The Preferences for Strategic Alliances or Mergers and Acquisitions," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(2), pages 167-188, March.
    2. Jay Mulki & Jorge Jaramillo & William Locander, 2009. "Critical Role of Leadership on Ethical Climate and Salesperson Behaviors," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 86(2), pages 125-141, May.
    3. David J. Teece & Gary Pisano & Amy Shuen, 1997. "Dynamic capabilities and strategic management," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(7), pages 509-533, August.
    4. Yanchun Zhang & Junwei Zheng & Amos Darko, 2018. "How Does Transformational Leadership Promote Innovation in Construction? The Mediating Role of Innovation Climate and the Multilevel Moderation Role of Project Requirements," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-19, May.
    5. Romijn, Henny & Albaladejo, Manuel, 2002. "Determinants of innovation capability in small electronics and software firms in southeast England," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 31(7), pages 1053-1067, September.
    6. Junwei Zheng & Guangdong Wu & Hongtao Xie, 2017. "Impacts of Leadership on Project-Based Organizational Innovation Performance: The Mediator of Knowledge Sharing and Moderator of Social Capital," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-22, October.
    7. Estrada, Carlos A. & Isen, Alice M. & Young, Mark J., 1997. "Positive Affect Facilitates Integration of Information and Decreases Anchoring in Reasoning among Physicians," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 72(1), pages 117-135, October.
    8. Kelly Martin & John Cullen, 2006. "Continuities and Extensions of Ethical Climate Theory: A Meta-Analytic Review," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 69(2), pages 175-194, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Mahmood Rehmani & Nazia Farheen & Munnawar Naz Khokhar & Afia Khalid & Ali F. Dalain & Huda Irshad, 2023. "How Does Transformational Leadership Stimulate Employee Innovative Behavior? A Moderated Mediation Analysis," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(3), pages 21582440231, September.
    2. Wayu Eko Yudiatmaja & Roy Valiant Salomo & Eko Prasojo, 2023. "Fostering Innovative Behavior of Millennial Public Employee Through Leadership Styles and Organizational Trust," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(2), pages 21582440231, June.
    3. Saira Begum & Enjun Xia & Khalid Mehmood & Yaser Iftikhar & Yan Li, 2020. "The Impact of CEOs’ Transformational Leadership on Sustainable Organizational Innovation in SMEs: A Three-Wave Mediating Role of Organizational Learning and Psychological Empowerment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-16, October.
    4. Rushana Khusanova & Suk Bong Choi & Seung-Wan Kang, 2019. "Sustainable Workplace: The Moderating Role of Office Design on the Relationship between Psychological Empowerment and Organizational Citizenship Behaviour in Uzbekistan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(24), pages 1-20, December.
    5. Francisco Rodríguez-Cifuentes & Jesús Farfán & Gabriela Topa, 2018. "Older Worker Identity and Job Performance: The Moderator Role of Subjective Age and Self-Efficacy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-13, December.
    6. Nazia Habib & Sajid Hussain Awan & Shaheryar Naveed & Chaudhry Shoaib Akhtar, 2020. "Effectiveness of Interpersonal Leadership for Engagement and Task Performance of Nurses," SAGE Open, , vol. 10(2), pages 21582440209, May.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Schriber, Svante & Löwstedt, Jan, 2015. "Tangible resources and the development of organizational capabilities," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 31(1), pages 54-68.
    2. Omar S. Itani & Fernando Jaramillo & Larry Chonko, 2019. "Achieving Top Performance While Building Collegiality in Sales: It All Starts with Ethics," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 156(2), pages 417-438, May.
    3. Nanditha Mathew & George Paily, 2022. "STI-DUI innovation modes and firm performance in the Indian capital goods industry: Do small firms differ from large ones?," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 47(2), pages 435-458, April.
    4. Carles Méndez-Ortega & Mercedes Teruel, 2020. "To acquire or not to acquire: the effects of acquisitions in the software industry," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 30(3), pages 793-814, July.
    5. Pascucci, Stefano & Royer, Annie & Bijman, Jos, 2012. "To Make or to Buy: Is this the Question?," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 15(3), pages 1-20, September.
    6. A. Lasagni, 2011. "European SMEs, external relationships and innovation: some empirical evidence," Economics Department Working Papers 2011-EP04, Department of Economics, Parma University (Italy).
    7. Dae Geon Kim & Sang Ok Choi, 2018. "Impact of Construction IT Technology Convergence Innovation on Business Performance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-16, October.
    8. Lora Reed & Deborah Vidaver-Cohen & Scott Colwell, 2011. "A New Scale to Measure Executive Servant Leadership: Development, Analysis, and Implications for Research," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 101(3), pages 415-434, July.
    9. Méndez Ortega, Carles, & Teruel, Mercedes, 2018. "To acquire or not to acquire: Mergers and Acquisitions in the Software Industry," Working Papers 2072/307043, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Department of Economics.
    10. Molden, Lars Hovdan & Clausen, Tommy Hoyvarde, 2021. "Playing 3D chess, or how firms can thrive under complexity: The mediating role of innovation capabilities in the use of innovation input," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 1-13.
    11. Messaoud Zouikri & Mounir Amdaoud, 2018. "Compétences externes et innovation: le cas des firmes de l'industrie manufacturière algérienne," EconomiX Working Papers 2018-37, University of Paris Nanterre, EconomiX.
    12. Marlond Antunez & Nelson Ramalho & Tânia M. G. Marques, 2024. "Context Matters Less Than Leadership in Preventing Unethical Behaviour in International Business," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 192(2), pages 307-322, June.
    13. Inków Monika, 2020. "Organizational innovation capability as a result of knowledge management processes - a literature review," Management, Sciendo, vol. 24(1), pages 143-156, June.
    14. Hang Wu & Yiying Qu & Yong Ye, 2022. "The Effect of International Diversification on Sustainable Development: The Mediating Role of Dynamic Capabilities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-16, July.
    15. Yingmiao Qian & Mengjun Wang & Yang Zou & Ruoyu Jin & Ruijia Yuan & Qinge Wang, 2019. "Understanding the Double-Level Influence of Guanxi on Construction Innovation in China: The Mediating Role of Interpersonal Knowledge Sharing and the Cross-Level Moderating Role of Inter-Organizationa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-19, March.
    16. Li Yi & Md. Aftab Uddin & Anupam Kumar Das & Monowar Mahmood & Shanewaz Mahmood Sohel, 2019. "Do Transformational Leaders Engage Employees in Sustainable Innovative Work Behaviour? Perspective from a Developing Country," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-18, April.
    17. Doohee Chung & Marco Jinhwan Kim & Jina Kang, 2019. "Influence of alliance portfolio diversity on innovation performance: the role of internal capabilities of value creation," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 13(5), pages 1093-1120, November.
    18. Tomi Tura & Vesa Harmaakorpi, 2005. "Measuring Regional Innovative Capability," ERSA conference papers ersa05p680, European Regional Science Association.
    19. Shi, Xianwei & Liang, Xingkun & Luo, Yining, 2023. "Unpacking the intellectual structure of ecosystem research in innovation studies," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(6).
    20. Shashank Mittal, 2019. "Role of Continuity, Specificity and Frequency of Firm–Supplier Exchanges in Customer Fulfilment: Evidence from Latin America," Global Journal of Flexible Systems Management, Springer;Global Institute of Flexible Systems Management, vol. 20(1), pages 25-37, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:8:p:2682-:d:161001. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.